Spike



(No Model.)

M. HAUPREICHT.

SPIKE.

' No. 461,477. Patented Oct. 20, 1891.

wmvsssasn- 0/6 wan ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATHIA'S HAUPREICHT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,477, dated October20, 1891. Application filed October 8, 1889. Renewed March 25, 1891.Serial No. 386,379. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVIATHIAS HAUPREICHT, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Spikes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in dock-spikes and in ship,bridge, trestle, and railway-rail fastenings, and has for its object toprovide a spike so constructed that when the spike is driven into woodthe fibers of the wood will be crowded into the spike to such an extentas to offeramaximum resistance to its withdrawal.

The invention consists in a spike, nail, or similar article constructedas hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, n WhlCll similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is afront elevation of the spike. Fig.2 is a side elevation ofthe same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 00 as of Fig. 2.

The body of the spike .10 is polygonal in cross-section, preferablyrectangular, and is provided with a pointed or wedge-shaped bottom orlower end 11 and a head 12 of any desired contour. In the front and rearfaces of the body a series of diagonal grooves 13 are preferablyproduced, the grooves upon one side being inclined in an oppositedirection to the grooves upon the other face, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The number of grooves employed may be regulated by the length and widthof the spikeas, for instance, but one groove may be used; but thepreferred number is two or more, ordinarily three. In lieu of forming aspike with a number of diagonal grooves in its opposite faces the spikemay be formed with one or more diagonal grooves in one or more of itsfaces.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that I contemplate producing thegrooves arranged as above in the sides of any article to be drivenpartaking of the nature of a spikeas, for instance, nails, ship-bolts,&c.

In producing a straight longitudinal groove in the face of a spike, whenit is driven the fibers of the wood are crowded therein, and the grip ortenacity is greater than when a plain surface. is employed, and when thegroove or grooves is formed diagonally in the spike the grip of the sameis materially increased over a straight groove; but when the grooves arerun diagonally in opposite directions upon opposite sides of the spikethe fibers are not only firmly compressed in the grooves, but thecompressed fibers upon one side of the spike act-in the capacity of awedge against those at the opposite side, and a maximum resistance isthereby obtained against the withdrawal of the spike.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a spike polygonal in crosssection and provided with diagonal unconnected grooves in oppositefaces, substantially as shown and described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a spike or similar articlediagonally grooved in opposite faces, the inclination of grooving in oneface being opposite tothe inclination of the grooving in theopposedfaces, substantially I as shown and described, and for the purposespecified.

MATHIAS HAUPREICHT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES PERRY, JOHN RooNEY.

